There are no ancestors at all; I made them all up.

Chapter 287 A mountain is not valued for its height, but for the presence of its inhabitants.

Seeing Su Zhijin's expression change drastically, An Ning asked in surprise, "Lord Su, what has caused you to lose your composure like this?"

Su Zhijin took a deep breath and handed over the intelligence report: "Take a look for yourself."

An Ning took the report, her eyes quickly scanning the words on it. Her delicate body stiffened for a moment, but she calmed down after only a breath and put the report back on the table: "So that's how it is. Actually, upon closer inspection, there were signs all along. Since Sect Leader Chen could suppress a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator like Gong Zhen Zhen, his true strength is probably already beyond the Golden Core realm. Now it seems that it's only natural to say that he already possesses Nascent Soul combat power."

“Nascent Soul combat power…” Su Zhijin repeated these four words, his face still showing shock. “This progress is too fast! It’s simply unbelievable! My vision was too shallow, and I failed to see it clearly in time. I was still using the old standards to measure it, and I really greatly underestimated Sect Leader Chen!”

He stood up and paced around the hall.

"The previous banquet proposal should not only not be cancelled, but is even more necessary! However, the nature of the event is different now! The supernatural abilities of Nascent Soul level figures far exceed our imagination, especially the Nascent Soul Outer Realm, which is the evolution of a small world prototype through one's own Dao, which is infinitely mysterious! Without personally stepping into this realm, it is difficult to comprehend even a fraction of its power! Although Sect Leader Chen may not have condensed the Outer Realm, his combat strength has already reached this level, so he can no longer be regarded as an ordinary Golden Core cultivator! This banquet must be held well, and its scale must be upgraded accordingly! This matter should also be reported to the Xuanji Chess Academy so that they can make preparations."

As he spoke, he looked at An Ning: "Since Sect Leader Chen already possesses such strength, the treatment and support we provide must immediately follow suit! Issue my order: for all matters concerning the construction of the Mingxia Mountain sect within the jurisdiction of Nanbin Road, whether it be ley line analysis, array materials, or various spiritual material quotas, as long as it does not violate imperial laws, all will be provided with the highest level of convenience and support! If there are any books or pills in the treasury suitable for Golden Core cultivators, or even those helpful for comprehending the Nascent Soul realm, they may also be opened up in exchange for access! In short, within the scope of our authority, we will do our utmost to assist you!"

“That’s exactly right!” An Ning nodded solemnly. “Now that Sect Leader Chen’s strength has been revealed, he is the pillar of our Nanbin Dao! Befriending him and giving him our full support will be beneficial both publicly and privately! I’ll get on it right away!”

"Wait!" Su Zhijin suddenly called out to her again, saying, "I remember, Sect Leader Chen recently asked you to help investigate some things?"

An Ning nodded and then said, "That's right, but some things involve secrets, and there's only so much we can investigate."

"Take my calling card to the Xuanjuan Pavilion's liaison office," Su Zhijin said solemnly. "Do everything you can to meet his needs!"

"Alright!" An Ning said no more, her palace skirt swayed, and she turned and left quickly.

Su Zhijin watched her departing figure, picked up the intelligence report again, and took a deep breath.

"Chen Qing, a Nascent Soul cultivator, the fate of Nanbin is about to change because of you!"

Mingxia Mountain, main hall.

Chen Qing sat upright.

Bai Shaoyou, who had rushed back from outside the mountain, entered the hall and respectfully bowed, saying, "Master, you're back."

"Hmm." Chen Qing nodded. "You seem to be in a hurry. Is there nothing going on in the mountains, or are there some chores at home?"

Bai Shaoyou looked helpless and replied, "Master, you are right. It is indeed the person I am betrothed to who sent a message from home. Her sect has been visiting my Bai family quite frequently recently. There are some matters of etiquette that I need to handle personally when I return."

"It's alright." Chen Qing waved his hand. "Managing a sect is not about drawing lines in the sand. Just do what needs to be done, without having to ask for instructions on everything."

Upon hearing this, Bai Shaoyou's expression relaxed, and he then smiled and said, "It's all thanks to Master. At first, neither side seemed to value this marriage very much, but now the clan's attitude has changed drastically, and even Miss Su's side has been contacting us with great enthusiasm. In the end, it's all because Master is so powerful in Nanbin that even your disciple has benefited from it, making people dare not underestimate you."

After a brief chat, he steered the conversation back to the main topic: "Ever since that old monk Shiren left the ten-day agreement, no one has come to the mountain gate to cause trouble these past few days."

"No one is bothering you?" Chen Qing shook his head inwardly upon hearing this.

The person did not come, but the insidious roots of Buddhist energy have already been quietly planted and are constantly eroding the spiritual foundation of Mingxia Mountain!

However, this matter was too subtle for Bai Shaoyou to comprehend at his current level, so Chen Qing did not point it out.

"Now that I'm back, I'll handle this matter," Chen Qing said, then changed the subject, "How's your cultivation going lately? Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Bai Shaoyou had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, and his spirits lifted. He hurriedly replied, "Master, since listening to your teachings, I feel that I have made great progress and have already touched the threshold of condensing my natal spirit talisman. However, there are still some parts that are unclear to me..."

He then recounted in detail the several difficulties he had encountered in his practice.

With Chen Qing's accumulated knowledge and understanding over several lifetimes, he listened for a short while and immediately grasped the key point. Then, with just a few words of guidance, Bai Shaoyou suddenly understood and his eyes lit up with enlightenment!
"I see! Thank you for your guidance, Master!"

His mind suddenly became clear, and his energy surged!
Upon seeing this, Chen Qing had an idea.

"Om-"

A crack opened in the spiritual gate within his abdomen, and spiritual energy flowed out like a trickle!

In an instant, the main hall was filled with spiritual energy. Bai Shaoyou sat cross-legged, his body radiating spiritual light, and his aura rose and condensed at a visible speed!
Outside the hall, many disciples and servants were attracted by the commotion and cast curious and envious glances.

The newly recruited outer disciples, in particular, were completely absorbed in watching!
They were originally just menial laborers in the mountains, but because they had gained some insights during Chen Qing's lecture and showed some comprehension, they were promoted ahead of schedule. Now, seeing Bai Shaoyou break through on the spot under the personal guidance of the sect leader, their eyes were filled with fervor and their faces were full of longing.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the spiritual energy calmed down, and Bai Shaoyou stood up. He felt refreshed and full of energy, and his cultivation had greatly improved. His face was filled with uncontrollable joy, and he bowed deeply to Chen Qing: "Thank you for your help, Master!"

"Go ahead and consolidate it properly." Chen Qing nodded slightly. "Have Da'ao and the others come over."

Bai Shaoyou respectfully withdrew and immediately summoned Fang Da'ao, Qu Xiaoyao, Sun Jiao, and several others, giving them instructions.

"Master is back and is about to test our progress in cultivation. You all must go quickly!"

Upon hearing this, the group dared not delay and quickly tidied their clothes before heading to the main hall.

After the greetings, Chen Qing's gaze swept over the group, a look of satisfaction on his face: "It seems you haven't been slacking off. Now, demonstrate what you've learned in your recent cultivation. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." "Yes!"

Following instructions, everyone stepped forward to practice. After Chen Qing reviewed the work, he gave a brief critique, which greatly benefited the group.

Qu Xiaoyao is intelligent, and Sun Jiao is down-to-earth; both are quite good.

Finally, it was Fang Da'ao's turn.

He stepped forward, let out a low shout, and his muscles bulged and his blood boiled. He then began to practice his punches and kicks. However, as he was fighting, he suddenly twisted his body and thrust his right elbow backward like a spear!
"puff!"

A powerful burst of energy erupted from his elbow, producing a sharp, piercing sound!
After he stopped punching and kicking, he laughed and said, "Uncle-Master, this is my own elbow energy technique!"

Chen Qing was speechless for a moment before finally saying, "That's quite ingenious."

Fang Da'ao chuckled and said smugly, "I think that although fists and feet are good, they are not as fast and tricky as elbow strikes. So I secretly thought about concentrating my qi and blood strength in my elbows, but I still can't control it well. Please forgive me, Uncle."

Chen Qing shook his head, not criticizing him for his lack of focus on one subject, but instead pointing out the key points for strengthening his muscles and bones and condensing his qi and blood based on his physical characteristics.

Fang Da'ao listened attentively and repeatedly agreed.

After giving his instructions to the group and watching them leave with a sense of understanding and joy, Chen Qing nodded slightly and then flicked his sleeve.

"Whizzing!"

Two streaks of light flew out from his sleeves, landing and transforming into a small black cat, a shadowy leopard, and a golden-eyed monkey.

"Keep an eye on the house."

After giving a brief explanation, Chen Qing transformed into a sharp rainbow of light, breaking through the rocks and soil, and headed towards the depths of the Mingxia Mountains!

The matter of Buddhist energy eroding the spiritual veins of the mountain's roots could not be ignored. Moreover, he had long planned to use the pseudo-mysterious gate in his abdomen to transform and improve the quality of the spiritual veins of Mingxia Mountain.

"Let's take this opportunity to work on two fronts! Before we wait for intelligence from all sides to converge, let's eliminate this major threat and lay a solid foundation for our sect's future success!"

With a firm resolve, he ventured deep into the mountain, sat at a ley line node, and carved out a stone chamber with a blade of blood-red light. He then sat cross-legged on the spot, his eyes slightly closed.

"Om-"

A surge of intent spread out, becoming closely connected with and merging with the earth's veins and spiritual energy of the entire Mingxia Mountain Range!
Qi merges with the mountains, and spirit blends with heaven and earth!
The next instant, Chen Qing formed a hand seal!

"open!"

With a low shout, the spiritual gate in his abdomen trembled slightly and then opened!

In an instant, a torrent of spiritual energy, a hundred times purer and more powerful than the spiritual energy in the mountains, surged out from the gate and spread in all directions!
The mountains trembled, the earth hummed, and the vegetation stretched its branches and leaves at a speed visible to the naked eye, becoming lush and verdant!
Chen Qing's divine sense, along with the spreading spiritual energy, covered every corner of the mountain range, sensing every change in the earth's veins! A wondrous realization welled up in his heart.

The contours of mountains and rivers, the flow of spiritual energy, the birth and death of all things... all these images reflected in his mind. A mysterious feeling arose spontaneously, that he could combine his own will and his own way with heaven and earth, and to a certain extent "replace" heaven and earth, and rule over a region. He was immersed in it!

"Ok?"

Those powerful demons who had sought refuge with Mingxia Mountain were most sensitive to changes in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and they immediately noticed the subtle changes!

"What is the Mountain Lord doing? Why is the earth shaking and spiritual energy surging?" The black bear felt the tremors coming from the hill beneath its feet, its face full of surprise and astonishment.

"This is a change of spiritual veins! Before I migrated to Mingxia Mountain, I had... I had seen it once! It was a great supernatural being who, with his own power, altered the course of mountains and rivers!" The Azure Serpent's eyes narrowed. "The Mountain Lord actually possesses such supernatural powers?!"

The gibbon scratched its ears and cheeks, unable to contain its excitement: "Following the Mountain Lord is truly an incredible opportunity!"

at the same time.

In another remote valley.

Jun Wuyai, who was sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes, a look of surprise flashing in them.

"He made such a commotion as soon as he returned. I thought he would use drastic measures to forcibly remove those Buddhist roots, which would only treat the symptoms, but would inevitably damage the earth's vital energy. I didn't expect..."

Feeling the pure spiritual energy flowing through and nourishing all things, as well as the will that resonated with the mountains, he revealed a solemn and amazed expression.

"Such a subtle yet earth-shaking feat! Where did he obtain this pure spiritual energy to nourish the earth's veins? By using this method to cleanse the veins and nourish their source, allowing them to repel and purify external evils on their own, not only does it not harm the earth's veins, but it also makes them more robust and greatly increases their potential! This is almost a work of creation!"

He gazed towards the main peak and muttered to himself, "Chen Qing, Chen Qing, just how many secrets are you hiding? Even a seasoned Nascent Soul cultivator might not possess such abilities..."

As he sighed, the subtle Buddhist aura permeating the mountains gradually dissolved and disintegrated under the cleansing influence of spiritual energy!
The entire Mingxia Mountain Range is now greener, the waters more beautiful, full of vitality, teeming with life, and its spiritual energy is becoming increasingly rich!
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

When Su Zhijin visited Mingxia Mountain again, he stopped abruptly as soon as he stepped into the mountain gate area, and a look of surprise appeared on his face!
"What's going on? How come the spiritual energy has suddenly become so abundant?"

(End of this chapter)